The ivy is a popular houseplant. If you would like more of them, you can multiply them with offshoots. Here you can find out how to do this best.
The attempt had failed. It was day 7 after planting the ivy shoots and the leaves were hanging shriveled in the pots. Instead of seeing two new, small ivy plants thrive next to my big one, I disposed of the two offshoots in organic waste. After all, the big ivy plant was still doing well. It stood at the top of the bookshelf and its leaves climbed almost to the floor.
Efeutute comes from my grandparents’ house, which is now home to a young family. She is a memory that has become a plant, I cling to her. And I want to preserve and increase this euphoria. But how do I do that? I can’t bother my grandmother with the question again. I think I heard a slight irritation in her voice because her adult granddaughter actually didn’t know how to grow ivy cuttings. So before I try the second time, I ask the professionals from the Fachverband Deutscher Floristen e.V. (FDF).
How can I multiply an ivy?
“It is advisable to let the freshly cut head shoot, about 10 cm long, dry for half a day,” says Nicola Fink from the FDF. The drying process of the ivy makes it more difficult for bacteria to penetrate. According to Fink, the section should always take place below the base of the leaf. After that there are two options:
Important for approach number 2: incidence of daylight. And Fink warns: “Caution! The higher the humidity, the more vigorously the young shoot pushes its root growth in the soil.” This method is similar to natural propagation in nature. The ivy evaporates correspondingly less water at higher humidity and has to be watered accordingly. Sounds complicated for laypeople like me. The Florists’ Association therefore “definitely” recommends the first variant for the propagation of ivy.
Following my grandmother’s advice, I also chose Method 1 on my first try. What I learn from Nicola Fink’s remarks: It takes a little patience. I hadn’t left the Efeutute offshoots to dry after separating them and, above all, the roots were still quite small when I took them out of the water.
Yellow leaves and location: tips for caring for ivy
According to the Florists’ Association, the ivy is “a relatively robust and grateful plant”. If a houseplant survives in my care, it has to be her. The pros also have tips about the location and watering of ivy plants: The more leaf variegation – i.e. coloring – the ivy plants have, the more light they require and then need a more sunny location. The green ivy needs the least amount of light.
The water requirement of the plant is rather low and depends on the room temperature. The higher the temperature, the higher the water requirement. However, if the ivy gets too much water, its leaves can turn yellow. Then you should hold back a bit with the watering in the coming weeks.
In my kitchen there are currently two pretty ivy cuttings in a glass beer mug and a former milk bottle. The roots are about 1 and 2 cm long. So I’ll wait a little longer before planting them.
Sources: Fachverband Deutscher Floristen e.V., schoener-wohnen.de
